High-speed
rail agency accused of stalling on settlement [Fresno Bee]
The
Madera County Farm Bureau and other organizations are accusing the California
High-Speed Rail Authority of failing to live up to key terms of a legal
settlement.…Among the key complaints now: The authority had yet to put up a
promised $5 million to establish an agricultural land mitigation fund. That
money is supposed to be used to buy conservation easements on farmland in the
region to make up for acreage lost to the high-speed rail route. The notice
also says the rail authority still owed almost $973,000 promised to cover legal
fees for the groups suing the agency.…The letter also states that the authority
has not yet named the farm bureaus and other organizations as participants in a
Farmland Conservancy Program operated by the Department of Conservation; nor
has the agency provided a list of mediators for valuation of farmland to be
acquired for the railroad right of way. That mediation panel was supposed to
have been established by May 17.
So
far, so good for peach harvest [Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
Despite
a labor scare during spring's peach-thinning period, the first round of harvest
appears to be coming along smoothly. However, a different issue might cause
problems this year: Smaller sizes….Kulwant Johl of Johl Orchards in Yuba County
said he hasn't experienced any labor problems so far this year and said workers
may have been freed up because canneries are allowing for more mechanical
harvesting this year.…Yuba City Mayor Pro Tem Kash Gill said his father, Jagtar
Gill, was wrapping up the early variety harvest this week, and that things have
been a little easier because of the mechanized allowance….Farmer Sam Nevis said
he has heard of some shortages on crews, but lately, it hasn't been too bad of
a problem. With the heat producing smaller fruit, he said, picking with
machines makes things easier.
Court
petition seeks EPA action on pesticide drift [Associated Press]
Activists
have filed another petition to force federal regulators to set safety standards
that protect children from pesticides that drift from farm fields into nearby
communities. Pesticide Action Network, the United Farmworkers of America and
other groups filed the petition Wednesday in San Francisco federal court. It
asks a judge to force the Environmental Protection Agency to answer a petition
from 2009, which demanded the agency evaluate children's exposures to pesticide
drift and adopt no-spray buffer zones around homes, schools, parks and daycare
centers.
Growth
panel approves expansion of Stanislaus almond acreage [Modesto Bee]
A
growth management panel has approved a major expansion of almond farming in
Stanislaus County's eastern hills and grasslands, where cattle once grazed. The
Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission voted 5-0 on Wednesday evening to
approve the Oakdale Irrigation District's request to annex 7,296 acres of land
east of Oakdale and owned by Trinitas Partners LLC of Menlo Park….The
annexation is notable for two reasons: • It's another indicator of the
prominent place of almonds in this agricultural county. Almonds made up about
22 percent of the county's $3.28 billion in farm revenues last year. There are
more than 150,000 acres of almond trees in the county. • It's a boon for those who
believe excess water should stay here and help agriculture. The Stanislaus
County Farm Bureau sent LAFCo a letter supporting the annexation.
Editorial: Stanislaus water
ordinance, take 2 [Modesto Bee]
…Twenty-eight
other counties already have groundwater ordinances, but there are citizens who
don't want the government telling them where they can drill a well and what
they can do with "their" water. We think "their" belongs in
quotes because there is nothing more contentious than arguments over who owns
water in California….We think it is time for Stanislaus County to have an
ordinance that guides and governs groundwater use. It needs to address
immediate concerns but also provide flexibility for the future. Also, water
availability needs to be a bigger consideration in land use discussions, and
the Board of Supervisors could benefit from having an ongoing water advisory
committee, just as it has an Ag Advisory Committee and other advisory bodies.
Editorial: Signs would feed
our crop curiosity [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
How
many times have you driven past a farm field and asked yourself, “Hmmm, I
wonder what’s out there. Celery? Lettuce? Broccoli? Cauliflower?”…Los Osos
resident Cindi Huntley has a solution: Farmers and ranchers could post crop
identification signs on their property “to educate us locals and tourists,” she
suggests in a letter to the editor published Tuesday. We think it’s a great
idea. So do the folks at the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau. In fact, they
tried it back in 1998. A small grant paid for the signs and stakes, which were
then offered to local growers….But the program didn’t catch on in a big way.
However, we believe the time may be ripe to try it again, especially since the
“farm to fork” movement — which encourages cooks to use ingredients grown close
to home — has inspired fresh interest in agriculture.
Ag
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